Sam still wants England job

SAM ALLARDYCE has not given up on his dream of one day managing England.

A high-ranking FA official made it clear on Sunday that Fabio Capello’s successor would be homegrown and Allardyce has been mentioned as one of the front runners to take over.

The Blackburn Rovers boss was in Cork yesterday for the launch of former Cork Hibernians striker Carl Davenport’s autobiography, The Dav – Anecdotes and Stories from Inside and Outside the Box.

The FA’s Club England managing director Adrian Bevington told BBC Radio 5 Live that “the English team should be managed by an English manager [in the future]” and Allardyce, whose Blackburn side got off to the perfect start in the Premier League by beating Everton 1-0 at Ewood Park on Saturday, claimed he would be interested if the opportunity arose.

Allardyce said: “I haven’t heard the English FA say that, that they’re going to pick an English manager next time out. I don’t know when that’s going to happen. If I’m around when it happens, I’d be interested.”

The former Bolton and Newcastle manager, who played with Davenport in the Bolton youth ranks, lost out to Steve McClaren in the race to succeed Sven-Göran Eriksson in 2006.

He has one year remaining on his contract at Ewood Park and has made no indication as to what his plans are after that runs out.

Allardyce spoke at length yesterday about the pressures of management in the top flight, expressing his relief that he isn’t a young manager trying to get started in the modern game.

“I’d like to finish at least 10th (in the Premier League table) again but it’s getting harder and harder,” he responded when asked about the target for 2010/11.

“We haven’t got the biggest budget to spend on players and the clubs in and around us like Wolves, Wigan and Stoke, they’ve ended up some of the biggest spenders this summer so that’s going to make life difficult for us.

“Rather than buying them like they’ve done, we’ve got them younger and developed them. I like the three young lads coming through from the academy, Phil Jones, Grant Hanley and Junior Hoilett.

“But you look at the strength of Everton and Aston Villa, Man City, they’re all looking to break into the top four this year. So it’s getting ever more difficult to finish in the top 10.

“Fifty-eight managers left their job last season out of 92 clubs, that’s more than 50%. It shows that unfortunately we’re in a very insecure occupation.

“I’m very glad not to be starting off as a young manager today. You’re given little or no time to do the job, it’s become a lot more precarious.

“You see Kevin Blackwell at Sheffield United, he’s gone after two games. For what Kevin has done for Sheffield United, that’s diabolical. All Kevin can do is work to the reduced budget given him.’’

Allardyce could have a new boss himself as Indian businessman Ahasan Ali Syed considers a takeover of Rovers. Syed says he wants to buy the club as quickly as possible so Allardyce can sign new players and he has begun checking the club’s accounts.

Syed, 36, told BBC: “I am very keen to move very fast and buy this club at the earliest moment. I am aware that Big Sam has big ambitions for this transfer window.”

Syed reportedly has £300 million (€366m) to complete the takeover, cover debts and “provide the necessary capital to buy new players and invest over the longer term so it can once again become a title contender”.